ST. GEORGE — The 3A State softball tournament played out a lot like many people expected this week, with a Region 11 team playing another Region 11 team for the championship at the Fields at Little Valley softball complex. The fact that neither of the two teams was Region 11 regular-season champion Grantsville was the only surprise.
Stansbury and Bear River, two teams that finished tied for second, two full games behind the Lady Cowboys, ended up in the championship game Saturday with the Stallions holding on for a 5-3 victory. The win gives Stansbury its third straight state championship in softball under head coach Bridget Clinton.
Grantsville, which came into the semifinals of the state tournament ranked No. 1 and sporting a 23-3 record, dropped two straight on Friday to get eliminated. The Cowboys fell to Juab 8-4 and were knocked out by rival Tooele 8-6. Grantsville had 10-runned the 18-11 Buffaloes 13-2 just three weeks ago.
But the state tournament was about Stansbury’s clutch performance, not Grantsville’s under-achieving. The Stallions went through the tourney without a loss, going 5-0. SHS beat Juab 5-4 in the semifinals and in the title game, the Stallions jumped up 5-1 before a Bears rally in the seventh made it close.
BR had the winning run on base before the final out, a shallow pop, ended the drama.
The state champs finish with a record of 26-4 while the runner-up Bears end up 23-8 on the year.
Stallions pitcher Kimbri Herring, Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stansbury vs. Bear River, 3A State Softball Championship Game, St. George, Utah, May 16, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @oldschoolag
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.